All Ryan O’Brien’s side needed was a win over Leigh Leopards in the curtain-raiser fixture to Saturday’s Super League clash at The Halliwell Jones Stadium in order to join Leeds Rhinos in the final, and they achieved it with minimal fuss.
Winger Frank Sergent crossed for a hat-trick of tries in The Wire’s 48-10 victory, with Charlie Walker also touching down twice while a try and six goals added up to a 16-point haul for scrum-half Ewan Irwin.
Ben Hartill, Lucas Green and Daniel Coop also found their way onto the scoresheet as Warrington made sure a victory at Wakefield for Wigan Warriors – the only team who could have usurped them for second spot – proved immaterial.
As such, they will now travel to Headingley to contest the final against the Rhinos, who earned the right to home advantage by finishing top of the table, on Saturday, September 20, kick off 2pm.
Frank Sergent runs in one of the three tries he scored against Leigh (Image: Kyle Webster) “We dominated field position in the first twenty minutes but, to Leigh’s credit, we struggled to break them down because of their defensive resolve,” reserves head coach and head of youth O’Brien said.
“We stayed disciplined and stuck to the task and managed to get our breakthrough in the second period of the half with some fine tries.
“The second half was a bit scrappy with both sides having a purple patch, so we have still got some work to do in preparation for the challenge ahead in a couple of weeks’ time.”
Wire’s first two tries were carbon-copies of one another – overlaps were created on the right edge for Cai Taylor-Wray to send Sergent over with perfect miss-out passes – and when Hartill brushed off four defenders on a fine, 30-metre run to the line, the hosts were in firm control.
Walker then got his first try by sweeping onto a loose ball when Irwin’s high kick was fumbled by Leigh’s AJ Towse before Green then crashed over from close range.
Warrington were as good as home but they set about extending their 26-point lead after the break – Irwin dummied through the line and out-paced experienced Leigh full-back Darnell McIntosh before Taylor-Wray’s break through the middle was kept alive for Joe Hickey to kick cross-field for Walker, who in turn fed Sergent to step in from the wing and complete his hat-trick.
Irwin broke the Leigh line again and found Coop in support for another try before the half-back turned provider again by looping a pass over to Walker, who walked in his second try.
Leigh finished strongly and added two late tries of their own through wingers Towse and Logan Caroline-Hines, but the game had long since gone.
Wolves: Cai Taylor-Wray; Frank Sergent, Charlie Walker, James Duffy, Lachlan Webster; Joe Hickey, Ewan Irwin; Charlie McKler, Ben Hartill, Tom McKinney, Daniel Coop, Kian Stanton, Lucas Green. Subs: Lewis Barratt, Isaac Reid, Logan Raughter, Joe Bajer. 18th man: Daniel Regan